Internal-combustion engine.



R. H. LEE, E. E. HARDING & H. J. STANLEY.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLlCATiON FILED 0CT.16. 1916,

1,245,358. Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

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1,245,358. Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

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R. H. LEE, E. ENHA'RDING & H. 1. STANLEY. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16. 1916.

1,245,358. Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. LEE, ELLE! E. HARDING, AND HENRY J. STANLEY, OF SANTA MONItiA, CALIFORNIA.

V INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Nov. 6, 191'1'.

Application filed October 16, 1916. Serial No. 126,020.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT H. LEE, ELLET E. HARDING, and HENRY J. STANLEY, all citizens of the United States, and all residin at Santa Monica, in the county of Los Zngeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification. A

Our invention relates broadly to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to engines of the four stroke cycle type.

The first object of the invention is to provide an engine in which the wrist pin, connecting rods, and crank shaft are relieved of a great deal of the strain put upon them in the ordinary type of engine and especially are relieved of a portion of the strains incident to compressing the-charge preparatory to the explosion. r

The second object of the invention is to provide an engine inwhich the crank shaft bearings are-centrally located with reference to the line of pressure of the connecting rods, so that there is no unbalanced pressure tending to bend or distort the crank shaft.

By so constructing our engine we are able to use long and heavy bearings on the crank shaft wit out making the engine unduly The third object of the invention is to pro- .vide an engine in which the connection rods are very long in proportion the crank. Y

The fourth object of our invention is to so arrange the pistons and cylinders that there is'a perfect iding action" in the cylinders, thus relieving them of a great deal of the side wear that is so damaging to the walls of the cylinders of the ordinary types of internal combustion engines.

The fifth object of our invention is to provide a novel form of cam shaft and cam by which we are able to operate four valves with two cam shafts and two cams, thus preventing friction by keeping the cams in con' The sixth object of our invention is to pro-' vide an engine in which the four cylinder members are arranged in pairs and in which to the throw of the removal of pistons, cams, cam shafts, or other working parts, is greatly facilitated.

The sevent object-0f our invention is to provide a novel form of exhaust and intake manifold by which back pressure is reduced and the efficiency of the engine is considerably increased.

The eighth object of our invention is to provide air cooling means for the piston and cylinder walls. p

The ninth object of our invention'is to so place the cylinders that there will be no direct communication between the crank case and the cylinders, so that burnt oil is kept out of the c linders.

Still further objects and advantages will be set forth hereinafter or will be evident to one skilled in the art from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and specification.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only;

Figure 1 1s an end view of the engine, a

portion thereof being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on a plane represented by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, this plane being viewed in the direction of the arrows of that figure.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on a plane represented by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, this plane be'ng1 viewed in the direction of .the arrows of t at figure. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan on a plane re' resented being viewed in the direction of the arrows of that figure. Fig. 5 1s anend elevation of a portion of the engine showing the various driving chains. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the exhaust and intake manifolds. v

As will be evident to one skilled in the art, our invention may be adapted to an engine having two, or any multiple of two, cylinders; As illustrated, the engine consists of four cylinders, lettered respectively A, B, C, and D. The engine, as constructed, consists of a base plate 11 to which is secured by means of bolts 12 a crank case 13, this crank case being separated into an upper compart merit 14 and a lower compartment 15 by means of a partition 16. Bosses 17 are proby the line 4-4: of Fig. 2, that p ane vided in the partition 16 having holes 18 therethrough. Formed on the base plate 11 are a pair of end bearings 20 and 21, and a pair of intermediate main bearings 22 and 23. The crank shaft 24 is provided with end journals fitting inside the end bearings 20 and 21 and intermediate journals fitted in the intermediate main bearings 22 and 23. The bearings 20, 21, 22'and 23 are all in a straight line about a single axis. A fly wheel 25 is secured on' one end of the crank shaft 24 outside the-crank case 13, and a pair of driving sprockets 26 are secured on the other end outside the end bearing. 20 and inside the outer line of the crank case 13. Formed in the crank shaft 24 on either side of each of the main bearings 22 and 23 are connecting rod journals on each of which the lower end of a connecting rod 31 is pivoted. The connecting rods 31 extend upwardly through slots 32 in the base plate 11 and are each pivoted at their upper ends on a master pin 33,this master pin being car- 'ried in a master connection 34 which slides in the cylinders A--B or G-D which are formed in an upper cylinder casting 35 and a lower cylinder casting 36. The lower cylinder casting 36 is secured to the base plate 11 and the upper cylinder casting 35 1s secured to the lower cylinder casting 36 by means of bolts 37, open slots 38 being left in the sides of the castings 35 and 36 through which the master pins 33 project. Secured on wrist pins 39 in the master connection 34 are pistons 40, these pistons being rela-: tively short, and provided with piston rings 41 sliding in the cylinders A-BCD.

Water cooling spaces 42 are provided in the walls of the cylinder castings 35 and 36 through which water is circulated from a water pump 43 through pipes, not shown, connected into openings 44. Water connections being old in engines of this t pe, the

details of the water circulation is t erefore not shown. 'Each of the cylinder castings 35 .and 36 is provided with an intake opening 50 and an exhaust opening 51, which respectively communicate with the extreme end of their respective cylinders. An intake manifold 52 connects with a series of openings 53, each of which is connected through an intake port 54 with one of the intake openings 50. An exhaust manifold 55 is connected with the series of exhaust openings 56, each, of which is connected through an exhaustport 57 with one of the exhaust openings 51. Located'in each of the ports 54 and 57 is a valve 60, this valve being provided with a valve stem 61 sliding in an extension 62-formed on the castings 35 and 36. A washer 63, held in place with a cotter pin 64, is secured on each of the valve stems 61 and a compression spring 65 is so arranged as to normally seat each of the valves 60 in its proper port. Removable plugs 66 are the plugs 66 which are directly over the intake valves, these spark plugs being connected to a suitable ignition system, not shown, having a, distributer so arranged as to fire the cylinders in the order A'BCD.

Brackets 70 are secured to the sides of the castings 35 and 36 by means of bolts 71, and tappets 72 are free to slide therein, these tappets each being threaded on one of the valve stems 61 and locked in place in relation thereto by means of nuts 73. Located at one side of the engine on the same plane as the intersection of the castings 35 and 36 and on a vertical line passing through the center of the valve stems 61, is an intake .valve shaft 80. Located on the other side of tween the tappets 72, so that each cam tends to operate an upper and a lower valve.

Located on each ofthe shafts 80 and 82 are a pair of s rockets 85 and 86, the sprockets 85 being riven through chains 87 from the sprockets 26 on the crank shaft 24, and the sprockets 86 driving sprockets-88 through chains 89. One of the sprockets 88 is located on the shaft 90, driving the water circulating pump 43, and the other sprocket 88 is located on a shaft 91, driving an oil pump, not shown.

Ahousing 92 surrounds the parts 85 to 88 inclusive. The engine is supplied with a suitable carbureter to which the intake manifold .52 is connected, and with a radiator or other water cooling means according to standard practice in engines of this type.

The method of operation of our invention is as follows:

The engine having been started by any convenient means, explosions are caused in the cylinder in the order ABCD, the movement of the valves 60 beingproperly timed by the cams 83. The arrangement is such that at the instant the explosion is taking place in the c linder A, a compression is taking place in t e cylinder B, which is the next to fire. At the same time the cylinder C'is drawing in a charge for compression and the cylinder D is exhausting the burned gases from a previous explosion. At the time the explosion takesplace in the cylinder A, the force necessary to compress the charge is transmitted by the master con- 'nection34 and in a similar manner when the explosion'takes place in the cylinder C a charge is compressed in the cylinder D, thus doing away with all the strain of compression in the connection rods at these times. The lower chamber 15 is used as an overflow reservoir into which surplus oil from the upper chamber 14 is drained, the bosses 17 serving to keep a supply of oil in the chamber 14, the parts 16 being dished out beneath each of the connecting rods 31 to form a series of wells into which the connecting rods dip at the lowest point of each stroke.

It will be seen that the first object stated above is accomplished by arranging the pistons 40 in pairs in opposed cylinders 35 and 36 and connecting them by the master connection 34 which takes the full force of the compression on every alternate stroke,

The second object is accomplished by locating the main bearings 22 and 23 directly below the center of the cylinders and using two connecting rods 31 which connect with cranks on either side and close to said bearings 22 and 23.

The third object is accomplished by placing the master pin 33 between the pistons 40 and by so arranging the other parts that the rods 31 may be made long in comparison with the throw of the crank. This tends to reduce the angularity of the connecting rods at extreme positions and greatly reduces the side pressure and wear on the cylinder walls.

The fourth object is accomplished by the use of the master connection 34 and the wrist pins 39 which allow the pistons 40 to find their own seat. v

The fifth object of the invention is accomplished by mounting the cam shafts 80 and 82 at either side of the engine and mounting the valves 60 above and below these shafts.

The sixth object is accomplished by making the cylinders in two parts 35 and 36 and making their junction point along the central plane of the cam shafts 80 and 82. By removing the bolts 37 the castings 35 may be lifted oflf, giving access to the interior of the engine. By disconnecting the rods 31 from the master pin 33, the master connection 34 and pistons 30 can be removed and the lower castings 36 can then be disconnected from the base 11.

The seventh object of the invention is accomplished by the radial form of manifold shown in Fig. 6. In this form each'arm is of equal and minimum length, and each cylinder can take in its mixture or expel its charge with maximum etficiency.

The elghth object of our invention is accomplished by leaving open the slots in the sides of the castings 35 and 36, so that the outer cool air has ready access to the space inside the castings 35 and 36 between the pistons 40 and around the master connection 34. This air is also drawn up or down to cool the cylinder walls at each end of each piston stroke.

The ninth object of our invention is accomplished by making thecylinders entirely separate from the crank case.

ing slots ing so that the axis of the cylindrical opening in said upper cylinder casting coin cides with the cylindrical opening in said lower cylinder casting, said upper cylinder casting and said lower cylinder casting hav-. formed in diametrically opposed positions on either side thereof; a master connection in said cylindrical opening and having a pair of wrist pins one at either end thereof; a piston on each wrist pin; and a master pin secured in said master connection and projecting through said slots.

2. In an internal combustion engine; a base plate; a lower cylinder casting secured to said base plate and having a cylindrical opening formed therein, said cylindrical opening being closed by a wall formed integral with said casting adjacent to said base plate; an upper cylinder casting similar in form to said lower cylinder casting, said upper cylinder casting being secured in an inverted position to said lower cylinder casting, so that the axis of the cylindrical opening in said upper cylinder casting coincides with the cylindrical opening in said lower cylinder casting, said upper cylinder casting and said lower'cylinder casting having slots formed in diametrically opposed positions on either side thereof; a master connection in said cylindrical opening and having a pair of wrist pins one at either end thereof; a piston on each wrist pin; a master pin secured in said master connection and projecting through saidslots; a pair of connection rods one on either side of said lower cylinder casting and exterior thereto, each of said connection rods being pivoted at its upper end on one end of said master pin;

and a crank shaft located below said base and having its axis on the same plane as the axis of said cylindrical openings and at right angles thereto, the lower ends of said connection rods being pivoted On two connection rod journals formed on said crank shaft at either side of said axis of said cylindrical openings.

3. In an internal combustion engine; a base plate; a lower cylinder casting secured to said base plate and having a cylindrical opening formed therein, said cylindrical opening being closed by a wall formed integral with said casting adjacent to said base plate; an upper cylinder casting similar in form to said lower cylinder casting, said upper cylinder casting being secured in an inverted position to said lower cylinder casting, so that the axis of the cylindrical opening in said upper cylinder casting coincides with the cylindrical opening in said lower cylinder casting, said upper cylinder casting and said lower cylinder casting having slots formed in diametrically opposed positions on either side thereof; a master connection in said cylindrical opening and having a pair of wrist pins one at either end thereof; a piston on each wrist pin; a master pin secured in said master connection and projecting through'said slots; a pair of connection rods one on either side of said lower cylinder casting and exterior thereto, each of said connection rods being pivoted at its upper end on one end of said master pin;

a crank shaft located below said base and having its axis on the same plane as the axis of said cylindrical openings and at right angles thereto, the lower ends of said connection rods being pivoted on two connection rod journals formed on said crank shaft at either side of said axis of said cylindrical openings; a center journal formed on said crank shaft between said connection rod journals; and a bearing for said center jour- Eal formed integral with or secured to said ase.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at Los Angeles, California, this 6th day of October, 1916.

ROBERT H. LEE. ELLET E. HARDING. HENRY J. STANLEY. 

